Sixty-Five Years After Liberation: Holocaust Survivors in New York Today Through 2025 PDF Free Download
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Selfhelp Community Services, Inc.
sixty-five years after liberation:
Holocaust Survivors in New York
Today Through 2025
© 2009 Selfhelp Community Services, Inc.
1
E x e c u t i v e S u m m a r y
Selfhelp Community Services, Inc. (Selfhelp) was founded in 1936 by a small group of
émigrés from Central Europe, who gathered in a one-room apartment in New York City
to discuss the rapidly deteriorating political situation in Germany and ways they could
help their fellow refugees, not only to escape to safety, but also to rebuild their lives in
America. As the horrors of the Holocaust brought unimaginable tragedy to the European
Jewish community, the organization that sprang from this meeting was there to receive
and embrace survivors in America – offering job training, housing, home care, social
services, and myriad other forms of support.
Over its 73-year history, Selfhelp’s mission has been to serve as the “last surviving relative”
to Holocaust survivors and other victims of Nazi persecution.1 Today, Selfhelp is the
largest provider of services to Holocaust survivors in North America, serving upwards
of 5,600 survivors a year. Our core services include enhanced case management, chore
services/housekeeping, subsidized home health care services, financial management,
guardianship, social programming, and emergency cash assistance. These core services
are delivered through seven dedicated program sites, including two locations in
Manhattan, two in Brooklyn, and one location each in Queens, the Bronx, and Nassau
County. (A full description of Selfhelp’s services is provided in the Appendix, page 12.)
To plan for the future provision of services, we have recently completed a demographic
analysis of the existing population of Nazi victims, which yielded some surprising and
some not-so-surprising results:
1. In the year 2025, we project that approximately 19,000 Holocaust survivors will still be
living in the New York City Metropolitan Area.
2. Through the year 2020, the number of Holocaust survivors in the New York City
Metropolitan Area who are older than 75 – the age at which they often begin to
require services – will still be greater than 24,000.
3. This last generation of survivors is likely to have complex needs. Fully 35 percent of
survivors will be coping with serious or chronic illnesses, and 51 percent will be “very
poor” or “near poor” under Federal guidelines. Therefore, this group of survivors will
have significant needs for home health care and financial assistance.
In short, although the total survivor population is decreasing, the number of survivors
who will require services will continue to grow as survivors age and begin to develop
increasing frailty and other debilitating conditions. The need to provide services, and
funding for those services, will remain great for this last generation of survivors.
1 For purposes of simplicity, this report uses the term “Holocaust survivor” to include all those who suffered Nazi persecution, whether they
lived through the Holocaust in Europe or were able to flee their home countries before they were engulfed by the Holocaust. Individuals must
have been residing in their country at the time that it was under the Nazi regime. This usage is in keeping with the definition employed by the
Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
2
I. Geographic Distribution of Holocaust Survivors
1 . B a s e l i n e P o p u l a t i o n , 2 0 0 2
As a first step in projecting the population of Holocaust survivors into the future, we
established a baseline from the recent past, drawing on comprehensive studies of survivors
residing in the United States2 and the New York City area.3 As shown in Table 1, below, an
estimated 55,000 survivors were living in the New York City Metropolitan Area in 2002,
fully half of the survivors residing in the United States. Fifty-one thousand survivors were
living in Selfhelp’s current service areas.
Ta b l e 1 : G e o G r a p h i c D i s T r i b u T i o n o f h o lo c au s T s u rv i vo r s , 2 0 0 2 4
Geographic Area 2002 Population
World 687,900
United States 110,000
(16% of world population)
New York City Metropolitan Area
(5 boroughs, plus Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester
Counties)
55,000
(50% of United States population)
New York City
(5 boroughs) 47,900
Selfhelp current service areas
(Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Nassau
County)
51,000
2 United Jewish Communities (December, 2003). Nazi Victims Now Residing in the United States: Findings from the National Jewish Population
Survey 2000-2001.
3 UJA-Federation of New York (November, 2003). The Jewish Community Study of New York City, 2002. Special Report: Nazi Victims in the New
York Area: Selected Topics. Prepared for UJA-Federation by Ukeles Associates.
4 The statistics presented throughout this report are estimates. Some numbers may not add exactly due to rounding.
3
2 . G e o g r a p h i c D i s t r i b u t i o n t h r o u g h 2 0 2 5
Using the 2002 figures shown in Table 1, combined with additional county-specific
information from the studies we reviewed, we projected the total population of survivors
in the New York City area through the year 2025. The year 2020 marks a turning point at
which all survivors will be at least 75 years of age, which is when individuals’ health often
first begins to deteriorate. Projecting out to 2025 shows how the size and needs of this
population may begin to change after that benchmark is reached.
In conducting our projections, we assumed an annual 4.5 percent mortality rate, and that
any migration into the overall New York City area or into specific counties would be offset
by outward migration.
Our results are shown in the table below. Of particular note, in the year 2025, we estimate
that more than 19,000 survivors will still be living in the New York City Metropolitan
Area. More than half of these (an estimated 10,300) will reside in Brooklyn. Relatively
large populations of survivors will also remain in Queens (an estimated 3,191) and
Manhattan (an estimated 2,324), as well as Nassau County (an estimated 1,248). In the
areas currently served by Selfhelp, more than 17,500 survivors will still be alive in 2025.
In the next pages, we develop rough projections about the needs of this population for
health care and financial assistance.
Ta b l e 2 : p r o j ec T e D G e o G r a p h i c D i s T r i b u T i o n
o f h o l o c au s T s u r v i v o r s , 2 0 0 8 - 2 0 2 5
Borough 2008 2010 2015 2020 2025
Bronx * 1,441 1,315 1,044 829 659
Brooklyn * 22,531 20,549 16,323 12,966 10,300
Manhattan * 5,083 4,636 3,682 2,925 2,324
Queens * 6,979 6,365 5,056 4,017 3,191
Staten Island 303 277 220 175 139
Subtotal, NYC five boroughs 36,338 33,141 26,326 20,912 16,612
Nassau * 2,731 2,491 1,979 1,572 1,248
Suffolk 1,062 969 769 611 486
Westchester 1,593 1,453 1,154 917 728
Total, NYC Metropolitan Area 41,724 38,053 30,228 24,012 19,074
* Total, current Selfhelp service areas 38,765 35,356 28,084 22,309 17,722
4
II. Need for Social Services Among the Survivor Population
As the largest provider of services to survivors in North America, Selfhelp’s experience
shows that survivors often begin seeking services as they age and as they begin to develop
health conditions or need financial assistance. Our analyses on the next pages focus on
these needs.
The estimates provided here are based on data collected in recent demographic studies
on Holocaust survivors and Jews who were living in the New York City Metropolitan Area
in the years 2000-2003. The future need for services is derived from this data.
3 . A g e o f N e w Y o r k C i t y ’ s H o l o c a u s t S u r v i v o r s
Age at which survivors require care
The overall population of survivors currently living in New York City is significantly
younger than the population of survivors served by Selfhelp. In 2002, the median age
of survivors in New York City was 72 (see Table 3a, next page), which implies that the
median age in 2008 was 78. In other words, half of the survivors living in New York were
younger than 78 years of age.
Selfhelp clients are typically older than this. As shown in Table 3b, next page, the median
age of Selfhelp clients in 2008 was between 84 and 85. This suggests that there will be a
number of survivors who will “age in” to Selfhelp’s services; that is, they will begin seeking
assistance as their physical or emotional circumstances change.
Some evidence for this projection comes from the fact that there is currently a steady
stream of new clients seeking assistance from Selfhelp. Indeed, of the more than 5,600
survivors served by Selfhelp each year, 1,068 new clients turned to Selfhelp for assistance
in 2008, and 1,064 in 2009.
Judging from past experience, we also project that the clients who require care will
continue to do so for as long as they are alive. We can therefore assume that Selfhelp’s
client caseload will decline more slowly than the attrition rate of the Nazi victim
population as a whole, as the survivors we support develop additional needs.
5
Ta b l e 3 a : aG e D i s T r i bu T i o n o f h o l o c au s T s u r v i v o r s
n e w Yo r k c i T Y M e T r o p o l i Ta n a r e a , 2 0 0 2 5
Age
Estimated Number in
New York Metropolitan Area Percent (2002)
Under 65 9,000 16%
65-75 21,900 40%
75-84 19,000 35%
85 and older 5,000 9%
Total 55,000 100%
Median age, 2002 72
Median age, 2008 (estimated) 78
Ta b l e 3 b : aG e D i s T r i b u T i o n o f s e l f h e l p c l i e n T s
s e l f h e l p s e r v i c e a r e a s , 2 0 0 8
Age Percent (2008)
60-69 4%
70-79 22%
80-89 58%
90-99 15%
100+ 1%
Total 100%
Median age, 2008 84-85
5
Table reproduced from Ukeles, J. (2002). Jewish Community Study of New York, 2002 (commissioned by UJA-Federation of New York). Special
Report: Nazi Victims in the New York Area, Selected Topics.
6
Total number of survivors aged 75 and over
Another way to approach the need for services is to determine the number of survivors
aged 75 and over. As shown in Table 3c, below, we estimate that there will be more than
24,000 survivors who are older than 75 living in the New York City Metropolitan Area,
through the year 2020.
Ta b l e 3 c : e s T i M aT e D s u r v i vo r s a G e D 7 5 a n D o v e r
n e w Yo r k c i T Y M e T r o p o l i Ta n a r e a , 2 0 0 8 - 2 0 2 5 6
2008 2010 2015 2020 2025
Total Number of Survivors 41,724 38,053 30,228 24,012 19,074
Survivors aged 75 or above 24,617 24,734 24,787 24,012 19,074
This is a critical finding, which is counterintuitive for those who believe that the
survivor population has already significantly diminished, and that the need for services
has declined.
Indeed, the need to provide services to the last generation of survivors is likely to
remain constant as this population begins to “age in” to the need for care.
4 . H e a l t h S t a t u s o f N e w Y o r k C i t y ’ s
H o l o c a u s t S u r v i v o r s
A primary reason for elderly individuals to begin seeking assistance from a social service
organization is the perceived or actual need for physical care as their physical abilities
begin to decline.
In May 2004, in New York City’s Jewish community as a whole, 35 percent of persons
aged 75 and over were in a household which had sought help in coping with a serious or
chronic illness within the past twelve months.
7
As we project this percentage out through
2025, we expect to see a steady number through 2017 of approximately 8,600 survivors,
aged 75 and over, who are in families coping with serious or chronic illnesses. Only then
will the number gradually begin to decline, but we expect that by the year 2025 there will
still be more than 6,600 survivors who need assistance with chronic illnesses in the New
York City area.
6
Estimates derived from Ukeles, J. (2000). A Plan for Allocating Successor Organization Resources. Report of the Planning Committee,
Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
7
Ukeles, Jack (May, 2004). From Crisis to Comfort: What Do We Know About Aging in the Jewish Community?
7
Ta b l e 4 a : p r o j ec T e D n u M b e r s o f h o lo c au s T su r v i v o r s
c o p i n G w i T h s e r i o u s o r c h r o n i c i l l n e s s e s
n e w Yo r k c i T Y M e T r o p o l i Ta n a r e a , 2 0 0 8 - 2 0 2 5
2008 2010 2015 2020 2025
Total Number of Survivors 41,724 38,053 30,228 24,012 19,074
Survivors aged 75 or above 24,617 24,734 24,787 24,012 19,074
Number coping with Serious or Chronic
Illness (35%) 8,616 8,657 8,675 8,404 6,676
The graph below is a pictorial representation of the same numbers.
Ta b l e 4 b : n a z i v i c T i M p o p u l aT i o n : n e w Yo r k c i T Y M e T r o p o l i Ta n a r e a
The actual needs of this population may be greater than projected because of the ways
in which surviving the Holocaust impacted their physical development. During their
childhood and adolescence, this generation of survivors experienced long periods of
malnutrition, direct physical assault, and exposure to severe weather conditions with
poor clothing and footwear. These circumstances had a direct impact on their physical
condition, leading to ailments such as brittle bones, stomach disorders, impaired vision,
heart and circulation problems, high blood pressure, dental problems, and foot problems.
41,724
38,053
30,228
24,012
19,074
24,617 24,734 24,787
8,616 8,657 8,675 8,404 6,676
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
45,000
Number of Nazi Victims
2008 2010 2015 2020 2025
Nazi Victims in New York City Metropolitan Area
Nazi Victims 75 years and older
Nazi Victims with Serious or
Chronic Illness [35% of households]
8
Holocaust survivors, as a group, also have a high incidence of chronic depression, anxiety,
and sleeping disorders. All these factors may lead to substantial deterioration in the
health of elderly survivors.
Even those Holocaust survivors who are not currently coping with serious or chronic
illness may still require services. As a whole, survivors tend to provide more negative
assessments of their health than the general population. Among respondents to the
2000-2001 National Jewish Population Survey, 27 percent of survivors described their
health as poor, compared to 8 percent of their contemporaries. Thirty-three percent of
survivors described their health as fair, compared to 21 percent of their peers.8
Projecting this statistic forward, through 2020, we can expect to see a steady number of
over 14,000 Nazi victims living in the New York City Metropolitan Area who describe their
health as “poor” or “fair,” and who thus may turn to Selfhelp for assistance with home
care, emotional support, or other supportive services. In 2025, there will still be almost
11,500 living survivors in these categories.
Ta b l e 4 c : p r o j e c T e D n u M b e r s o f h o l o c aus T s u r v i vo r s
p e r c e i v i n G a n e e D f o r a s s i s Ta n c e w i T h h e a lT h c a r e
n e w Yo r k c i T Y M e T r o p o l i Ta n a r e a , 2 0 0 8 - 2 0 2 5
2008 2010 2015 2020 2025
Survivors aged 75 or above 24,617 24,734 24,787 24,012 19,074
Number reporting
health as poor (27%) or fair (33%) 14,770 14,841 14,872 14,407 11,444
Based on the percentage of survivors over age 75 who will require assistance with acute or
chronic illness, and the number of survivors who self-report their health status as “poor”
or “fair,” we project that the need for health-related services will continue to hold steady
for this population through 2020, and will still be significant in 2025.
8 United Jewish Communities (December, 2003). Nazi Victims Now Residing in the United States: Findings from the National Jewish Population
Survey 2000-2001. A United Jewish Communities Report.
9
5 . P o v e r t y A m o n g H o l o c a u s t S u r v i v o r s
Compounding their physical needs, more than half of the Holocaust survivors in the
New York City Metropolitan Area are in financial distress, living below 150 percent of the
Federal poverty level. Table 5, below, presents the 2002 percentage breakdown of poverty
among Holocaust survivors,9 and projects the numbers of survivors who are “very poor” or
“near-poor” through 2025.10
Ta b l e 5 : e s T i M aT e D p ov e r T Y l e v e l s o f h o l o c a u s T s u r v i vo r s
n e w Yo r k c i T Y M e T r o p o l i Ta n a r e a , 2 0 0 8 - 2 0 2 5
Household Income
Percent of
total living
survivors,
2002
Estimated
survivors,
2008
Estimated
survivors,
2010
Estimated
survivors,
2015
Estimated
survivors,
2020
Estimated
survivors,
2025
Below 100% of Poverty
Guidelines (“very
poor”)
38% 15,855 14,460 11,487 9,125 7,248
Between 100% and
150% of Poverty
Guidelines (“near
poor”)
13% 5,424 4,947 3,930 3,122 2,480
Above 150% of Poverty
Guidelines 49% 20,445 18,646 14,812 11,766 9,346
Total 100% 41,724 38,053 30,228 24,012 19,074
We can expect that a significant proportion of those survivors in the “very poor” and
“near poor” categories will turn to Selfhelp for financial assistance, including subsidies
for home care, assistance with emergency needs, and assistance applying for public
benefits and entitlements.
As well, although our estimates suggest that approximately half of the survivor population
are living above 150 percent of federal poverty guidelines, individuals in this group are
still likely to be experiencing a degree of financial distress. The income levels set by
the Federal government as national indicators of poverty are very low when applied to
New York City.11 For example, in 2008, individuals living just at 150 percent of Federal
poverty guidelines had an annual income of $15,600. In the New York City Metropolitan
Area, this amount barely covers the cost of housing; the median rent for rent stabilized
apartments in that same year was $11,100, leaving only $86 a week to cover food and other
expenses. It is thus likely that some of the survivors whose income places them above the
“very poor” or “near poor” categories will also require financial assistance.
9 UJA-Federation of New York, 2003, op cit, page 21.
10 Although there may be some fluctuations in survivors’ financial circumstances during this period, Selfhelp’s past experience suggests that it is
likely that those survivors in the poorest groupings will remain there. Because many older people tend to spend down their assets as they age,
we think it is likely that there will actually be a gradual increase in the “very poor” and “poor” categories.
11 Federal poverty guidelines for 2002 specified that 100% of poverty was limited to annual incomes of $9,000 for an individual ($12,000 for a
couple). Those living within 150% of poverty had maximum incomes of $13,000 for an individual ($18,000 for a couple). In 2008, the 100%
thresholds were $10,400 for an individual ($14,000 for a couple). The 150% thresholds were $15,600 for an individual ($21,000 for a couple).
10
III. Projection of Funding Needs
We now project the level of funding that will be required to meet the increasing needs of
the survivors living in the New York City Metropolitan Area. We base our calculation on
Selfhelp’s current service level and the funding needed to maintain that level through the
coming years. Our assumptions are specified below:
1. In fiscal year 2008, Selfhelp served 5,629 survivors. This number was 22.87 percent
of the survivors aged 75 and older who were living in the New York City Metropolitan
Area.
2. Based on the analyses in this document, we expect that Selfhelp will continue to serve
a similar proportion of survivors aged 75 years and older in the coming years. We
utilize an annual 4 percent increase in the cost of providing services.
Table 6 shows the estimated cost per client, and the estimated total cost of Selfhelp’s
services for Holocaust survivors, through the year 2025. This includes the cost of services
that we expect survivors to particularly need, including case management, subsidized
home care, emergency financial assistance, and assistance applying for benefits and
entitlements.*
* Please note that these projections describe only the specific services that Selfhelp provides directly to survivors. We
assist clients in applying for and accessing the public benefits and entitlements that are available to all older adults
living in New York City. For example, a typical Nazi victim client is an 85 year old widow, living alone. She
receives a modest Social Security payment of $850 per month, and a German reparations payment of $400. Due to
numerous physical ailments she requires home health care services every day, for 8 hours. Utilizing funding for Nazi
victims, we provided subsidized services on the weekdays, while her daughter assisted on the weekends. The Selfhelp
social worker counseled the family regarding Medicaid, and with the help of our Legal Services Program successfully
assisted them in filing the application and documents. She now receives her home care services from Medicaid. [The
annual value of this is approximately $35,000]. We also obtained Food Stamps for her, in the amount of $1,200
annually, and made sure that her Senior Citizen Rent Exemption was kept current [$1,800 annually]. Thus, for
this case we were able to use the specific funding for Nazi victims at a critical time, and then assist her in accessing
additional public entitlements valued at $38,000 annually.
11
Ta b l e 6 : e s T i M aT e D c o s T p e r c l i e n T a n D T oTa l c o s T o f s e r v i c e s
n e w Yo r k c i T Y M e T r o p o l i Ta n a r e a , 2 0 0 8 - 2 0 2 5
2008 2010 2015 2020 2025
Number of survivors,
New York City
Metropolitan Area
41,724 38,053 30,228 24,012 19,074
Number of survivors,
75 and older 24,617 24,734 24,787 24,012 19,074
Number of
Selfhelp clients served 5,629 5,657 5,669 5,492 4,362
Projected cost per
client $1,206 $1,305 $1,587 $1,931 $2,350
Projected total cost $6,788,574 $7,382,385 $8,996,703 $10,605,052 $10,250,700
With a conservative estimate that Selfhelp will continue to serve
approximately 23 percent of living Holocaust survivors through 2025 and
beyond, the cost to do so will remain steadily high as survivors continue to
age, and require care.
12
A p p e n d i x
Current Services Provided to Holocaust Survivors
by Selfhelp Community Services, Inc.
Enhanced Case Management: Caseworkers develop an individualized care plan for each client
that reflects his or her unique psychological and physical needs. Each caseworker is a highly-skilled
advocate for the interests of the client, making sure that the client receives not only optimum care,
but also all entitlements for which they are eligible. Last year, Selfhelp social workers provided
43,662 hours of case management services to Holocaust survivors.
Chore Service/Housekeeping: Staff housekeepers provide clients with an average of three hours
per week of light housework, shopping assistance, laundry, and escort service. Housekeepers are
a primary source of information regarding deterioration in a client’s health. Over the past year,
16,787 hours of chore service/housekeeping were provided to victims of the Holocaust.
Subsidized Home Health Care Services: Selfhelp’s Licensed Home Care Services Agency
(LHCSA) and Certified Home Health Agency (CHHA) offer a full array of home health services
including personal care and skilled nursing. Depending on client needs, services may be provided
on a long-term, short-term, or interim basis. Over the past year, Selfhelp provided a total of 46,046
hours of subsidized home care to Holocaust survivors.
Social Programs: Recreational and social programs enhance the development of relationships,
social contacts, and communication. Selfhelp’s celebrated Coffee Houses, which are held in local
synagogues and community centers, feature refreshments and entertainment reminiscent of
life in Europe before the Nazis. Selfhelp also sponsors Passover Seders, Chanukah parties, day
trips, discussion groups, a creative writing group, and other social activities. Last year, aggregate
attendance at Selfhelp social programs was 7,322.
Emergency Cash Assistance: Cash grants are provided to clients in need with funding from the
Claims Conference, UJA-Federation of New York and private donors. These grants are used to pay
for a range of expenses to cover critical needs, such as medical, dental, utilities, emergency rent
payments, special winter clothing, and food. Over the past year, Selfhelp distributed a total of
$1,070,612 in cash assistance.
Financial Management: Holocaust survivors may encounter difficulty managing their finances
due to impediments ranging from diminished vision and reduced motor function to more serious
complications including Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. Selfhelp’s financial
management program utilizes three levels of intervention: 1) a visiting bookkeeper to help with bill
paying and checkbook balancing; 2) serving as a representative payee to receive client’s income and
pay their bills; and, in the most severe cases; 3) serving as court-appointed guardian. During the
past year, Selfhelp assisted 58 Holocaust survivors with financial management services.
Volunteer Programs: Trained volunteers make scheduled, friendly visits to homebound clients to
provide socialization, communication, and a connection to the outside world. Volunteers also assist
at Coffee Houses and other social events, make telephone reassurance calls, help with shopping and
housework, or work in the office. Friendly visitors include volunteers from local college campuses,
and the Action Reconciliation Service for Peace program, which enables young Germans to serve
individuals and communities affected by the Holocaust.
Based on 2009 data.
13
R e f e r e n c e M a t e r i a l :
Ukeles, J. (2000). A Plan for Allocating Successor Organization Resources. Report of the Planning
Committee, Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
Ukeles, J. (2002). Jewish Community Study of New York, 2002 (commissioned by UJA-Federation of
New York) Special Report: Nazi Victims in the New York Area, Selected Topics.
Ukeles, J. (October 2003). An Estimate of the Current Distribution of Jewish Victims of Nazi
Persecution (prepared for ICHEIC).
Ukeles, J. (May, 2004). From Crisis to Comfort: What Do We Know About Aging in the Jewish
Community?
United Jewish Communities (December, 2003). Nazi Victims Now Residing in the United States:
findings from the National Jewish Population Survey 2000-01.
Discussions with:
Jennifer Rosenberg, Director of Research, Division of Strategic Planning,
UJA-Federation of New York
Madeleine Tress, Social Policy Analyst, Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany,
We appreciate your interest in these materials. We request appropriate attribution for all reproduction or usage
of the information contained herein.
Prepared by: Selfhelp Community Services, Inc.
Stuart C. Kaplan
Chief Executive Officer
Elihu Kover
Vice President, Nazi Victim Services
Elizabeth Lynn
Director of Grants Management
October, 2009
Selfhelp is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to maintaining the independence
and dignity of seniors and at-risk populations through a spectrum of housing,
home health care, and social services and will lead in applying new methods and
technologies to address changing needs of its community. Selfhelp will continue to serve
as the “last surviving relative” to its historic constituency, victims of Nazi persecution.
Selfhelp Community Services, Inc.
520 Eighth Avenue
New York, NY 10018
For additional information please contact:
212-971-5475
Visit us on the web: www.selfhelp.net
